Title: CRAVE
Synopsis: Buffy found a new appreciation of life, while Spike woke up as a different man. A post-"Grave" episode fanfic.
Rating: G
Date Written: Saturday, May, 2002
Author: The Resident Vampyr © 2001-2002.
Credits: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the property of Joss Whedon and the powers that be. Partial script from BtVS S4 'Fool For Love'
Characters: Buffy Drusilla Dawn Spike
Note: Crave is the 22th and the wrap-up of a series of post-episode fanfictions based on Buffy, the Vampire Slayer season 6 episodes. The season finale has left me speechless! What an amazing season this has been. I can't wait for season 7!
Summary: Crave is composed of 3 parts beginning with The Bloody, and The Slayer. It will continue (time permitting) to cover The Key, The Watcher, The Witch, The Loyal, and The Demon.

Although the gang suffered from a loss of a dear friend, Buffy's new appreciation of life led her to a blissful relationship with her sister Dawn. Buffy openly shared her experiences as a Slayer to her younger sister. She taught Dawn the value of family and friends, and instilled in her the importance of keeping relationships together.

It was a summer of rebuilding. Giles stayed in Sunnydale to rebuild the magic shop. Willow committed herself to getting rid of her dark powers. Anya contemplates about giving her relationship with Xander, a second chance.

And, well, Spike woke up as a different man.



"...Give me what I want. Make me what I was... so Buffy can get what she deserves." - Spike


THE BLOODY

LONDON, 1880

It was a foggy evening when William finally decided to join his colleagues for a night of dinner and merry-making. Although quite hesitant and apprehensive, William was nevertheless getting ready to go to the ball. His mother, who was particular about her son's social standing, also urged him to go and encouraged him to spend time with his friends instead of burying himself with his poetry.

William was standing in front of a mirror fixing his bow-tie when he started composing a piece. "My h-heart..." William muttered in a low voice, he paused and searched for the next word.

"My h-heart... uhm...e--expands," he said excitedly upon getting the word that he was looking for. After a momentarily paused, he sighed and said to himself, 'Oh dear, I am not going to finish this poem in time. What will I do?'

William understood that he was not exactly blessed with words of a true poet, however, poetry was his passion. It was the one thing that he valued the most, other than his mother. He promised himself that he would be a good poet and be able to make a name for himself. But under the circumstances, his future as a poet looked bleak.

And then came Cicely, the object of his affection, which made his dreams even more challenging. From the moment he saw her, William was unable to express himself without groping for words. Cicely was the one who opened his eyes to matters of the heart. His new found affection was supposed to inspire him, however, Cicely's presence made him feel less secure of himself, brought about by the differences in their social status.

She was a lady in the court, a daughter of a wealthy merchant, while he was just a student in literature, who paid his way to school by handling stables and occasionally assisting in the local press. It was there where he met Cicely.

***

"My h-heart expands," he repeated again from the beginning, "'tis g-grown a-a..."

William finally gave up, he could not think of the right words for his love poem. Instead, he quickly pulled out a piece of notepad from his desk and briskly wrote down the words.

"Will, dear," it was his mother calling from downstairs.

William in his tweed suit, his tie still undone, descended from the stairs, his mother waiting for him excitedly.

"William, you looked so handsome," said his mother. She realized that his son was becoming to look a lot like her late husband.

William smiled shyly, embarassed of the way he looked in his tweed suit and his soft coif falling across his face. Here he was, a pathetic 26-year old English lad still living with his mother, and was no better than a long lost lamb.

'Sweet mum,' he said to himself, 'if you only knew how people are treating me.' William did not want her mother to worry about him. She had been through enough already ever since his father died. His mother suffered gravely at their loss which left her bed-ridden most of the time and with frequent memory lapses. William made a promise to himself to take care of his mother and never to leave her alone.

"I don't see why I have to go to the ball," he said reluctantly.

"It's good for you William. Once in a while you need to mingle with your friends, not just locked up in your room and write your--". She was going to say his poetry, but stopped abruptly. She doesn't want to hurt her young Will. Instead she focused on the unmade tie he was wearing. "Here, let me help you with that."

"So, tell me dear, have you finally told Elizabeth about how you feel? She's a lovely girl, that Elizabeth...and she belongs to a very prominent family too," his mom beamed at the thought of his son finding a love to call his own.

"N-Not yet, mum. But I will, tonight," he said awkwardly.

"Have you prepared for what you are going to say to her?" she asked, finishing his bow.

"Indeed, I have," said William, coping his pocket for the piece of love note he scribbled earlier.

"Any girl would be lucky to have you, luv," she smiled as she noticed Will's grim nod. "What's the matter William?"

"Nothing, mum," said William sadly for he knew Cicely would only laugh at him. 'William, the Bloody', that was what they called him. Nevertheless, he must at least give his feelings a chance.

"She is indeed a sweet lady, mum," he began, "But she doesn't even noticed me."

His mother saw how hurt William was, but could not do anything but to encourage him. She remembered when William was a young boy, the only thing that cheered him up when he was sad, was a cup of warm cocoa topped with marshmallows. How he craved for such delights. However, things have changed. William is no longer a boy, but a man with a good heart.

"She will my son. She will," she said. "Elizabeth will realize how good a soul you truly are. Just remember to trust your heart."

William nodded. He never felt more confident than ever.

His mother kissed him goodnight and reminded him to go home early. "You don't want to encounter any unscrupulous pickpockets on the streets at night," she warned him.

"I will, mum," he said and bade her goodbye. "And mum, her name is not Elizabeth," he paused.

"It's Cicely."

***

AFRICA, PRESENT DAY

Dawn broke in the horizon. Spike felt a sting. A tiny ray of sunlight peaked from a makeshift tent and started to burn his cheeks.

Spike woke up. Frightened. Aching. Disoriented.

"Mum?"

Everything was bright and harsh. Spike examined his surroundings and found out that he was lying in an vast open space. He must have been unconscious for a day or so. He slowly got up and peered outside, the sun has started to come up. Remnants of a nomad tribe was still visible from the day before.

Spike held his chest, pain evident from the previous night.

"This is not happening..." both his hands grabbed his head, "Ahhh! Seering... pain...!"

Years and years of memories came rushing forward, "The d-demon... he gave," he cried once again, "Ahhhhh! My s-soul..."

***

"Do you want it?" asked a serene yet insightful vampire.

Spike had never wanted anything more. "Oh, yes!" he exclaimed as he touches her chest. "God, yes."

Drusilla looked down at an inviting neck, her face changed and her fangs descended quickly. Spike trembled a little when he felt the sharp teeth burrowing his neck. "Ou-ouch..!" he yelped in pain, "Ou-oh-ohhh...". His cries of pain was quickly replaced with moans of pleasure as Drusilla ended his human existence.

***

Although unable to comprehend, Spike knew that he must leave this place quickly and head back home. There was no time to lose, soon the sun would be up and the tent that was giving him protection would no longer be useful. He grabbed the only item of clothing that he could find, his black shirt.

He stopped momentarily and reflected, for his heart was heavy and his soul was in torment. For the first time in over a century, Spike felt blood in his hands. Blood of every men, women, and children that he had killed. All of them cried out for mercy.

"Oh God, what have I done?!"



THE SLAYER

SUNNYDALE

Two vampires approached Buffy simultaneous with a couple more at her back. Buffy readied herself to attack. Not far from where she was, Dawn was preparing to assist her sister.

"Well, lookey here," said the leader of the gang, "The Slayer brought her sister to die!"

The vampires laughed with anticipation of killing the Slayer and her family. Buffy and Dawn looked at each other, and without further notice, they faced their enemies and started to fight. "Dawn, stay close," Buffy warned her sister.

Buffy kicked the first vampire from her back and sent it flying. Another one rushed to her and threw in a punch but missed. Dawn held on to the sword her sister gave her for protection. Buffy had trained her how to use it properly since Dawn showed her prowess a couple of weeks ago.

Buffy grabbed the two vampires closed to him and slammed their heads together. Dawn then pulled out her sword and decapitated both of them in a single swift.

One last vampire confronted them. He was the biggest of them all. He grabbed Buffy on her throat and threw her against the cemetary wall. Dawn tried to swing her sword against the vampire but was pushed right where Buffy fell.

"Are you okay?" she asked, obviously concerned. Buffy got up and grabbed her stake. She delivered a massive kick in the stomach to the big bad and grabbed its head and slammed it against the wall leaving it no chance to block the incoming stake through the heart.

Buffy helped Dawn to get up after the last dust fell to the ground.

"That was amazing!" said Dawn. "You and I are unbeatable."

"More like never again would I let you--", said Buffy worried. "I shouldn't have let you come with me."

"But Buffy..!" Dawn protested.

"I k-know, I said that I will no longer held you back. Still, I can't help but worry about your safety, that's all," Buffy said with reservations.

Dawn, however, remained positive with the whole situation. She knew everything was going so fast and Buffy was only protecting her. She reckoned that Buffy will someday be 100% supportive of this whole Buffy-showing-the-wonderful-things-in-life thing.

Dawn, who was trying to keep the spirits up, noticed that they were in the familiar part of the cemetery. "Hey, isn't that Spike's crypt?"

Buffy, too, realized that they were in fact a few meters away from his crypt. "Uhm, so it is," she said quietly.

"I wonder if he's back?" said Dawn as she straddle towards the abode.

Much to her surprise, Buffy followed her kid sister. She had to admit that she missed her ex-vampire lover. She missed his regular visitations at her back porch, his seemingly annoying obsession, and even his persistent advances. She smiled inwardly at the thought. There were a lot of things that she wanted to tell him. She wanted to let him know how she had changed for the better and how she appreciated life as never before. Things were going great for them, well, at least civil enough for two former enemies. Spike showed that he cared enough for her, and then there was Dawn trusting him.

But Spike had to turn back to his old selfish, evil ways. Buffy shook her head. She still do not understand what happened. She guessed, a vampire without a soul can never change for good. It was wrong for her to think otherwise.

If only Spike could be more human.

If only he could have his soul back.

It could have been better for them.

If only.


***

Also by The Resident Vampyr™ The Vampyr Pentateuch & Other Stories™. A compilation of Season 5 BtVS post-episode fanfictions. Visit http://www.vampyrslayer.cjb.net for more. Vampire Seasons™ - a compilation of season 6 BtVS post-episode fanfictions @ http://vampireseasons.cjb.net. Mirrored at http://www.fanfiction.net